Blue Jays celebrate Canada Day with win, ending homestand with 3-7 record

Toronto to hit road for West Coast swing before all-star break

Published Jul 01, 2026  •  4 minute read

Sean Keys #20 of the Toronto Blue Jays celebrates his third inning home run against Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Toronto. Photo by Chris Tanouye /Getty Images

The Blue Jays began their season-long 10-game homestand with a win and ended it with a 9-3 win over the New York Mets, providing some symmetry to a stretch that was far from pretty overall.

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Six straight losses played out in that span, including the oddest way to drop a game when a ninth-inning wild pitch scored the deciding run from second base.

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Three series played and only one series win against a Mets club that has won fewer games than Toronto.

By every definition, the Jays’ homestand was a complete and utter disappointment. It was generally given that a 7-3 homestand would be the absolute worst outcome for the Blue Jays. Instead, they finished with an embarrassing 3-7 record.

At least they didn’t spoil Canada Day by spanking the Mets to claim the series rubber match. And at least they head out on a road trip feeling a bit better about themselves, though they leave town with an overall record of 41-46.

In a woeful American League, being five games under .500 allows a club such as the Blue Jays to remain in the wild card hunt.

The following are three takeaways on a day Sean Keys, playing in his third game, launched his first career dinger, a three-run blast in the third inning, and was then presented with a red home run jacket befitting of the day’s occasion.

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Spencer Miles #62 of the Toronto Blue Jays pitches in the second inning against the New York Mets at Rogers Centre on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Toronto. Photo by Chris Tanouye /Getty Images

1. Eye opener

Electing to go with an opener flies in the face of baseball tradition, but it’s a route the Jays have been forced to take this season when so many starters have been injured.

The Jays had Braydon Fisher on the mound to begin Wednesday, which has become an old hat in such circumstances. Six such openers have featured the right-hander, who has thrown a total of 6 2/3 inning on bullpen days, allowing zero runs.

The next time the Jays will use an opener arrives next Tuesday, which they hope will be the final time.

With the all-star break on the horizon, the club’s starting rotation should be bolstered, barring an injury to incumbents in Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Shane Bieber.

Bullpen days have also allowed a pitcher such as Spencer Miles to showcase his talents. Miles, a Rule 5 Draft selection, has been a major revelation. He started the second inning Wednesday and struck out the side on 13 pitches.

Miles has the stuff to be a starter, but it’s unlikely such a promotion is in play this season.

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He struck out Bo Bichette to lead off the fourth, Miles’ fourth in 2 1/3 innings. He added a fifth K as the righty pitched three innings on the day.

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2. Happy Canada Day

Last year’s occasion marked a key turning point for the Jays after they earned a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees.

Bichette was nursing an injury then on a day when George Springer ignited his renaissance season.

This year, though, the Jays played Wednesday’s game minus their leadoff hitter after Springer was placed on the paternity list. In a corresponding move, the club recalled speedster Jonatan Clase from triple-A Buffalo.

Entering Wednesday, the Jays had played 46 games on Canada Day, posting a 17-29 record, including a 15-9 mark at Rogers Centre. Each of those numbers improved following the win.

Among the pomp and circumstance associated with Canada Day, the club acknowledged six Canadians who played with the club — John Axford, Scott Richmond, Matt Stairs, Michael Saunders, Paul Quantrill and Russell Martin, who received the loudest ovation among the six-pack of ex-players.

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Thanks to the ongoing commitment from the Jays Care Foundation, a total of $300,000 was earmarked for youth baseball organizations on behalf of those players.

One of the most endearing and appropriate Canada Day themes is honouring Canada’s military, capped off by the unfurling of a large flag.

A new twist was added Wednesday to recognize the 50th year of the CN Tower as the club also celebrates its 50th season.

To that end, former players Justin Smoak, Marco Estrada and Kevin Pillar were shown on the centrefield video board stepping out onto the tower’s EdgeWalk.

Finally and fittingly, Day 1 employee and president emeritus Paul Beeston, the pride of Welland, performed the ceremonial first pitch.

An ABS challenge may have overturned the call, but Beeston’s pitch, thrown to Martin, appeared to have caught the corner of the plate.

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3. Happy Bobby Bonilla Day

With the Mets providing the opposition, it’s only right to remind the uninitiated of Wednesday’s meaning from a Big Apple angle.

Every year on July 1, Bobby Bonilla receives an annual payment of a cool $1.19 million as part of a deferred compensation arrangement with the club.

Up Next

The Jays begin a nine-game western road trip Friday night in Seattle before heading down the coast to San Francisco and continuing south to San Diego before the all-star break; speaking of the mid-summer classic, Phase 2 winners along with pitchers and reserves will be unveiled Thursday; Jays players figure to be featured, not based on merit, mind you, but strictly on ballot stuffing.

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